Trumans Presidentcy essays

Truman's Presidentcy expositions Regardless of solid resistance from a Republican congress, Truman endeavored to expand Roosevelts New Deal strategies by fortifying government disability, preservation, actualizing rent controls, and giving lodging to low-pay families. Now and again, in any case, Truman was conflicting with his own partys convictions and the perfect of the New Deal so as to suit the prompt circumstance and hold open help. Besides, Truman upheld social liberties activities and just because, expanded the political status of African American residents. Trumans different changes were a lot of like the proposition of Roosevelt, yet the state of mind of the country because of its luxuriousness and that of Congress restricted his endeavors and the changing occasions demonstrated that Trumans Fair Deal was not as vital as FDRs New Deal. Trumans sorted out approach to expound on the New Deal was named the Fair Deal and meant to improve social conditions like Roosevelts plan had done already. His quick objectives were full business and an improved economy, just as to accommodate the benefit of all. The Fair Labor Standards Act expanded the lowest pay permitted by law from 40 pennies to 75 pennies and the Social Security Act expanded advantages to the older by 77.5%. Likewise, to the benefit of the individuals who lived in leased homes and condos, Truman stretched lease controls to March 1951, and what's more, the Housing Act pledged to dispose of ghettos and built up 810,000 low-salary houses, along these lines furnishing a decent measure of residents with moderate lodging. The president likewise actualized the Employment Act in 1946 to help balance out the after war economy. The demonstration made a three part chamber of financial guides and a joint advisory group to consider and propose adjustment measures. In addit ion, Truman endeavored to set up a Missouri Valley Authority while expanding the intensity of the Tennessee Valley authority, however was fruitless. Be that as it may, the president obtained increments in... <!

Performance Measurement Systems Essay

Execution Measurement Systems Performance estimation frameworks are an essential piece of the administration control frameworks. The executives control is a procedure through which the executives guarantees that assets are acquired and utilized viably and effectively in achieving the organization’s objectives. To be best execution measures ought to be attached to the vital destinations of the association. Two key standards of execution estimations are; estimation of execution and remuneration dependent on estimated execution. The objective of execution estimation framework is to actualize procedures. A presentation estimation framework is just a system that improves the probability the association will execute its procedure effectively. Any exhibition estimation framework mixes the monetary data and non-money related data with one another. In setting up such frameworks, the senior administration chooses measures that best speak to the company’s procedure and these measures can be viewed as present and future basic achievement factors. Employments of Performance Measurement According to Behn (2003) the employments of execution estimation are as per the following: 1) To assess. To assess execution, the ranking directors need to figure out what a specialty unit chief should achieve. 2) To control. Execution estimation can guarantee the ranking directors that their subordinates are making the best choice. 3) To financial plan. Here and there financial plans increment could be the response to improving execution. 4) To inspire. Execution estimation frameworks give individuals critical objectives to accomplish and afterward use execution measuresâ€including interval targetsâ€to center people’s thinking and work and to give intermittent feeling of achievement. ) To celebrate. By accomplishing explicit objectives, individuals gain feeling of individual achievement and selfworth. 6) To advance. To persuade the investors that their association is doing acceptable, oversees need effectively comprehended proportions of those parts of execution about which numerous investors actually care 7) To learn. Learning is associated with some procedure, of examina tion data gave from assessing corporate execution (distinguishing what works and what doesn't). By examining that data, partnership ready to learn purposes for its poor or great exhibition. 8) To improve. With the goal for partnerships to gauge what it needs to improve it first need to recognize what it will improve and create processess to achieve that. Execution estimation frameworks build up a criticism to survey with plans to accomplish enhancements and to decide whether those processess make determined outcomes (upgrades). Confinements of Financial Control Systems 1. It might empower transient activities that are not in the company’s long haul interests. . Business supervisors may not attempt valuable long haul activities, so as to acquire momentary benefits. 3. Utilizing momentary benefit as the goal can mutilate correspondence between a specialty unit supervisor and senior administration. 4. Tight budgetary control may inspire supervisors to control information. Extensive Performance Measures Comprehensive execution estimates must address: 1. Money related executi on 2. Consumer loyalty 3. Interior business process improvements and 4. Permit an association to learn and develop. Budgetary Performance can be estimated by: 1. Remaining measures (bookkeeping benefit measures, for example, total compensation, working benefit, income before intrigue, expense, deterioration, and amortization (EBITDA) 2. Proportion pay (bookkeeping return measures, for example, Return on Investment (ROI), Return on Net Assets (RONA), or Risk Adjusted Return on Capital (RAROC). Client related estimates 1. Appointments 2. Delay purchases 3. Piece of the overall industry 4. Key record orders 5. Consumer loyalty 6. Client maintenance 7. Client dedication Internal Business Process Measures 1. Limit usage 2. On-time conveyance 3. Stock turnover 4. Quality 5. Process duration Learning and Growth estimates 1. Learning and development distinguishes the framework an association must form to make long haul development and improvement. 2. Development originates from: individuals, frameworks and hierarchical strategies. Executing a Performance Measurement Systems Implementation of an exhibition estimation framework includes four general advances: 1. Characterize Strategy: * The BSC assembles a connection among technique and operational activity. * Therefore, it starts with the procedure first, to accomplish the objectives and goals. 2. Characterize Measures of Strategy: The following stage is to build up the measures to help the defined procedure. * The association must concentrate on a couple of basic measures and ought not over-burden with the measures. * And significantly, the measures ought to be connected with one another in a circumstances and logical results way. 3. Coordinate measures into the administration framework: * The scorecard must be incorporated with the organization’s formal and casual structures, culture and human asset rehearses. 4. Audit measures and results every now and again: when the scorecard is executed and running, the senior administration should survey is continually. The association should search for the accompanying: * How the association is doing as indicated by the result measures? * How the association is doing as per the driver measures? * How has the organization’s system changed since the last survey? * How has the scorecard estimates changed? Troubles in execution Performance Measurement Systems 1. Poor relationship between's non-monetary measures and results 2. Obsession with monetary outcomes 3. Measures are not refreshed 4. Measures are over-burden 5. Trouble in setting up exchange offs

MIT Idol

MIT Idol In a few minutes Ill head over to the committee room to begin Day 7 of selection. Things are going well; for some reason Im enjoying committee this year even more than I have in past years. Maybe thats just what happens as you become a seasoned admissions officer, or maybe you guys are just awesome and inspiring. Probably a combo of the two. In any case, selection committee is a pretty intense exercise as far as the brain is concerned, so when you get home at night, youre not exactly looking to dive into a theoretical physics book. Truth be told, youre looking to do something as mindless as possible. And this is where my American Idol addiction comes in handy (did the women pwn last night or what?). Ive heard that the producers put through the best ~10% and the worst ~10% to Simon, Paula, and Randy the former because they actually have a shot at winning, and the latter for pure entertainment value. Fortunately, our applicant pool is very self-selective so even the bottom 10% is very impressive. But I have to admit sometimes I wish wed get applications from people who have no business applying to MIT to liven up selection committee. (As a guy who is not wired to do science and math, Id be a prime candidate.) While Im rolling with this fantasy, Id also add Simon, Paula, and Randy to our selection committee, and Id also have each applicant apply in person. Because then we could have scenes like this: Randy: Dog, it was just okay for me. You want me to keep it real, right? Alright, it just didnt work. The curriculum was just too big for you. You should have picked classes that you could have actually passed. Paula: You know what? Youre a star. Your handwriting is beautiful, you look great, and I really like you. Im not sure MIT is the place for you, but youre really going to go far in life and have gorgeous kids and save the world. Simon: When you do math in public, how do people generally react? Is this an application to MIT or to pre-school? You are absolutely forgettable. I could go into any middle school and find 6th graders Id rather admit. Paula: Oh stop, it really wasnt that bad. You shine, you know fractions really well. Youre beautiful. Ryan: Would you like to respond to Simon? Applicant: Um, uh, I thought it was okay Simon: You havent taken any math since ninth grade, you failed bio, chem, and physics, and you have a 220 on your math SAT. You know when youre at a wedding and someone has a little too much wine and gets up on stage and tries to integrate? That was you tonight. Crowd: Booooooooo. Simon: Its true. Ryan: If youd like to vote for this applicant, call 888-MIT-IDOL or text MIT on your Cingular phone which is now ATT which was formerly ATT which was formerly Cingular which might be Cingular again in a few months. Randy: DOG POUND! Dog Pound: Woot! [commercial] And on that note, my friends, selection committee beckons.

The Need For Rationing Increasingly Scarce Health Care...

Introduction This paper addresses the issues surrounding the need for rationing increasingly scarce health care resources. There has been much debate over the questions of how best to provide quality health care coverage, which services are necessary and which are optional, and how to pay for it all. Although there does not seem to be a consensus on how best to distribute health care services, the growing demand for coverage and current expectations of the public make addressing the situation increasingly more pressing. Examples from the key health care areas of organ transplantation, reproductive technology, and geriatric costs are briefly analyzed and placed in the larger context of the overall scarcity of health care resources in order to illustrate the rationing dilemmas facing health care. This issue will become more pressing as the realization takes hold that health care costs are increasingly out-stripping society’s ability to pay for those costs. Not every patient is given the most beneficial treatment. For such an individual, the consequences can be sometimes tragic and the notion of pricing life is controversial. Because of this fact, decisions involving rationing of health care resources raises the question: How do we treat a person with dignity and respect, an individual who is left behind by an effectual policy for society generally (Menzel, 1990)? Rationing Examples: A Review of the Literature In triage circumstances, as in a mass trauma incident,Show MoreRelatedThe National Health Service ( Nhs )3985 Words   |  16 PagesFinancial Dilemmas The National Health Service (NHS) was established in 1948 and has been regularly described as the envy of the world. Successive Governments have remained committed to its founding principle; universal service free at the point of use. NHS is funded through general taxation and its current budget is around  £110 billion. It is facing unprecedented and increasing pressures that threaten to overwhelm its capacity. The population is ageing and there is a significant increase in theRead More Ethical And Legal Aspects On Organ Transplantation Essay6401 Words   |  26 Pagesmeasures taken by health care professionals. This is a limited view of the matter because health care professionals are not directly responsible for the policies and other guidelines for procuring organs. The general population does not have the interest of suffering individuals at heart when it comes to donation. Instead, the interest lies with respecting individual autonomy and dead bodies. I strongly believe that the attention needs to focus on the next-of-kin or health care proxies communicationRead MoreEssay on Economic, Political and Social Effects of Stalins Purges2356 Words   |  10 Pagesdictatorship to the dictatorship of a single individual; Stalin. Overall power was centred in Stalin, under whom an increasingly bureaucratic hierarchy of party officials worked. During the purges Stalins personal power can be seen to increase at the cost of the partys. It could be argued that this increasing power for the single leader drawn from his party was due to the need for fast, decisive and unquestioned leadership of the type needed in battle. After all Russia was portrayed by the SovietRead MoreBusiness Economics Solutions Mba12192 Words   |  49 PagesBusiness Economics MBA LIMITS, CHOICES AND SCARCITY ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS 2-1 Explain this statement: â€Å"If resources were unlimited and freely available, there would be no subject called economics.† If resources were unlimited and freely available, making choices would not be necessary. Every person could have as much as they wanted of any good or service. Economics, the science of choice, would be unnecessary. 2-2 Comment on the following statement from a newspaperRead MoreRoad Transport11468 Words   |  46 Pagesscale. Global competition has made the existence of efficient transport and logistic systems in delivery chain an absolute imperative. Easy accessibility, flexibility of operations, door-to-door service and reliability have earned road transport an increasingly higher share of both passenger and freight traffic vis-à  -vis other transport modes. Road transport has emerged as the dominant segment in India’s transportation sector with a share of 4.5 per cent in India’s GDP in 2005-06. Over the last six yearsRead MoreSupply and Demand and Key Question16305 Words   |  66 Pagesand curve were producing 3 automobiles and 20 fork lifts, what could you conclude about its use of available resources? d. What would production at a point outside the production possibilities curve indicate? What must occur before the economy can attain such a level of production? a) See curve EDCBA. The assumptions are full employment, fixed supplies of resources, fixed technology and two goods. [pic] (b) 4.5 forklifts; .33 automobiles, as determinedRead MoreEconomics Text Book Chapter Summaries21497 Words   |  86 PagesThe brief exposure to each of a vast array of techniques and problems leaves the student no basic economic logic with which to analyze the economic questions he will face as a citizen. Another problem is that the introductory course is increasingly tailored not for the majority of students for whom it will be their only economics course, but for the negligible fraction who will go on to become professional economists. Such courses focus on the mathematical models that have become theRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagescareerist pressures in the academic world itself. With government agencies pressing for ever more standardized and conventional research and with increasingly instrumental careerist vi FOREWORD behaviour by academics, there are fewer incentives to bridge the academic and practical spheres. No doubt this is also exaggerated by an increasingly less curious professional world. The intellectually curious Technical Partners of the past have been replaced by more market orientated purveyors ofRead MoreAppraisal Techniques of Public Investments and Projects62994 Words   |  252 Pages.....................................................................................65 4.3.5 Illustration of cash flows........................................................................................................66 PITT Management Resources Page 2 of 176 Investment Appraisal Training Manual for Public Projects 4.3.6 Points to note............................................................................................................................68 4.4 Economic analysisRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesstrategic choices and strategy in action covered later in the book, it will normally be a prerequisite that some type of analysis of the strategic position is undertaken, using the case material. When planning the use of these cases within programmes, care needs to be taken to balance the time taken on such strategic analysis so as to allow the time required to analyse the main issues for which the case has been chosen. Where the text and cases are being used as the framework for a strategy programme (as

The Danger in Susan Glaspells Trifles Essay - 799 Words

The Danger in Susan Glaspells Trifles Susan Glaspells Trifles is a play about a real life murder case that uses symbolism to help bring it to a close. It is easy to see that Mr. and Mrs. Wright live in a society that is cut off from the outside world and also strongly separated by gender. Three of the key symbols in Glaspells play are a simple bird cage, a quilt, and isolationism. Anna Uong of Virginia Tech and Karen Shelton of JSRCC share these same ideas on symbolism. These three symbols are the main clues that help the reader decide who killed Mr. Wright. The bird cage that was found is one of the most profound symbols in the story. Mrs. Hale describes Minnie as, kind of like a bird herself, real sweet and†¦show more content†¦It is said to be ?All over the place as if she didn?t know what she was about,? states Mrs. Hale?(840). This is another clue into how enraged and flustered Minnie was. Minnie?s last straw was when John killed her bird. When the bird died, so did Minnie?s personality. After that murder, Minnie was enraged, confused, and didn?t know what to do. Mrs. Hale wondered ?if she was goin? to quilt it or knot it?(840). By quilting the blanket, she would have chosen to endure the pain that John was putting her through, but by knotting the quilt she chose to eliminate it. Just as a knot represents a finishing or a completion of a project, it also was an end to John. The weaving of the quilt also symbolises the building up of the marriage and then the end of it. ?The quilt started out as a beautiful piece of art and was brought to a close by a couple of sloppy stitches and knots?(Uong). Just like the Wright?s marriage, the quilt was beautiful until the end where everything was simply a mess. Isolationism also plays a very important role in the story. The Wright?s farmhouse is located in a hallow, in the woods. This sets her in a secluded place away from most civilisation. The Wright?s didn?t even have a phone in their house to be able to call anyone. Mr. Hale came to talk to Mr. Wright about a phone a few times but, ?he put me off, saying folks talked too muchShow MoreRelatedFeminist Message in Susan Glaspells Trifles891 Words   |  4 PagesMessage in Susan Glaspells Trifles Susan Glaspells Trifles can be regarded as a work of feminist literature. The play depicts the life of a woman who has been suppressed, oppressed, and subjugated by a patronizing, patriarchal husband. Mrs. Wright is eventually driven to kill her hard (1178) husband who has stifled every last twitch of her identity. Trifles dramatizes the hypocrisy and ingrained discrimination of male-dominated society while simultaneously speaking to the dangers for womenRead MoreFeminism at Its Best810 Words   |  3 PagesJury of Her Peers,† Susan Glaspell articulates the suffrage women of her time had to endure brought on by the weaker sex stereotype that had plagued the human brain for quite some time. Annenberg Learner states that the short story is based on a true event Susan Glaspell had covered in 1900 while working as a reporter for Des Moines Daily News (Annenberg Learner; Glaspell 179). At first, â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† was known as a play by Glaspell called â€Å"Tri fles.† A year later, Susan Glaspell adapted theRead MoreWomen’s Voice in Literature2562 Words   |  11 Pagesgoal of the women participating in the fight was the right vote. In an effort to rally more to their cause, women used not only organized protests but employed literature to speak out. Written during this time period, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and â€Å"Trifles† are works that portray women as passive timid beings that should listen to their counterparts. These two pieces were composed to expose the outrageous manner in which women were regarded. On the other hand, â€Å"Canceled† is a contemporary piece which

The Ghost in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay - 1878 Words

The Ghost in Hamlet In Hamlet Shakespeare has designed a supernatural, ethereal character who lacks a physical existence, and yet who is a participating character in the drama. It is the Ghost, the subject of this essay. Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes the ghost’s activity prior to the opening scene of Shakespeare’s tragedy: The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlet’s†¦show more content†¦Horatio and Marcellus make contact with Hamlet and escort him to the ramparts of Elsinore. At one a.m. the Ghost, ironically a sinner suffering in the afterlife (West 110), reveals to the protagonist the extent of the evil within Elsinore, â€Å"the human truth† (Abrams 467). The Ghost says that King Hamlet I was murdered by Claudius, who had a relationship with Gertrude prior to the murder; the ghost requests a â€Å"restorative† revenge (Gooch 1) by Hamlet: â€Å"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.† Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,-- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce!--won to his shameful lust The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen: O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there! (1.5) The Ghost remains two-dimensional throughout the drama, lacking in complex temperament and motivation, which would render him â€Å"rounded† in the dramatist’s development (Abrams 33); in other words, he does not become one of Shakespeare’s â€Å"sharply etched characters† (Wilkie and Hurt 2155). Philip Edwards’ â€Å"The Ghost: Messenger from a Higher Court of Values?† explains the impact of the Ghost on the protagonist: Hamlet is galvanized into activity by the news of the appearance of a ghost that resembles hisShow MoreRelated Shakespeares Hamlet - Hamlet and the Ghost Essay2495 Words   |  10 PagesHamlet and the Ghost      Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay will analyze a very important, non-human character in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet. This is, of course, a reference to the supernatural creature, or Ghost.    A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy discusses the quandary into which the Ghost put the protagonist:    What, it may be asked, was hamlet to do when the Ghost had left him with its commission of vengeance? The King was surrounded not merely by courtiers but by a Swiss bodyguard: howRead More The Pitiful Ghost in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay2928 Words   |  12 PagesThe Pitiful Ghost in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Shakespeare’s tragic drama, Hamlet, there is one character who is different from all the others. He is a supernatural being – a Ghost. His role is quite as important as anyone else’s. This essay will be devoted to an explanation of this Ghost.    Maynard Mack in â€Å"The World of Hamlet† elucidates the reader on how the Ghost introduces the problem of appearance versus reality:    The play begins with an appearance, an â€Å"apparition,† to use Marcellus’Read More Shakespeares Hamlet - The Importance of the Ghost Essay2768 Words   |  12 PagesHamlet and the Non-expendable Ghost   Ã‚   All literary critics agree that the Ghost in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet is not an expendable character. Without the Ghost the show could not go on. He is absolutely essential to the plot, to ever aspect of the drama.    W.H. Clemen in â€Å"Imagery in Hamlet Reveals Character and Theme† describes the pervasive influence which the Ghost’s words have on the entire play:    Perusing the description which the ghost of Hamlet’s father gives of his poisoningRead More Significance of the Ghost to William Shakespeares Hamlet Essay1580 Words   |  7 PagesSignificance of the Ghost to William Shakespeares Hamlet In Shakespeares Hamlet, the ghost plays a key role in influencing the destinies of the other characters. The ghost is important to the play as it symbolizes both fate and catalyses the plot. It also brings the play into the revenge tragedy genre, which allows foreshadowing to occur and helps the audience, both Elizabethan and contemporary to better understand the play and appreciate it. The late King Hamlet is forcedRead More There is No Ghost in William Shakespeares Hamlet Essay examples646 Words   |  3 PagesThere is No Ghost in William Shakespeares Hamlet    Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare in the seventeenth century, is a tragedy of great proportion and great debate. When the play begins, Hamlet is moping around at home. His father recently died, his mother sinfully married her brother-in-law, and he was cheated out of the throne by his ambitious uncle. He is angry and bitter, and after initial skepticism, is more than willing to accept the ghost who seems to resemble his deceasedRead More Shakespeares Hamlet - The Ghost Of Hamlet’s Father Essay2404 Words   |  10 PagesThe Ghost Of Hamlet’s Father      Ã‚   What would Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, be like without the character of the Ghost? The drama simple wouldn’t BE! The Ghost, though not a human character in most senses of the word, is crucial for the development of the play. This essay will analyze this interesting character.    Frank Kermode in â€Å"Hamlet† fits the Ghost into the local and national scene:    But meanwhile the ghost – â€Å"this thing† – has appeared. (Horatio as skeptic raises questionsRead MoreEssay about Hamlets Struggle and Disillusionment1137 Words   |  5 PagesQUESTION: Shakespeares Hamlet continues to engage audiences through its dramatic treatment of struggle and disillusionment. In the light of your critical study, does this statement resonate with your own interpretation of Hamlet? RESPONSE: In the light of my critical study, the statement that Shakespeares Hamlet continues to engage audiences through its dramatic treatment of struggle and disillusionment resonates strongly with my own interpretation of Shakespeares play, Hamlet. It clearlyRead More The Ghost of King Hamlet Essay1301 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ghost of King Hamlet      Ã‚   Many Shakespeare plays contain ghosts, perhaps most notably and most disturbingly in Macbeth and Hamlet. The ghost in Hamlet is the apparition of prince Hamlets father, the dead King Hamlet.   However, up until the time when the ghost first appears to Hamlet, interrupting his speech and thoughts, it appears Hamlet is unaware that his father was murdered.   As the ghost intones, I am thy fathers spirit, / Doomed for a certain term to walk the night, / And for theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Hamlet981 Words   |  4 Pagesmeanings are controversial topics of his time period. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the controversial topic that is throughout the play is religion and the afterlife. Afterlife plays a big role in Hamlet and is discussed throughout the play. Multiple authors have written on the topic of afterlife and religion in Shakespeare’s play, especially Hamlet. One author that has written on the topic is Paul Dean. In his paper, â€Å"The Afterlife of Hamlet†, he includes quotes from Stephen Greenblatt, Roy BattenhouseRead MoreHamlet Comparison Essay755 Words   |  4 PagesV.31). In Shakespeares play titled Hamlet, Lies, deception, and foul play are all encompassed into an iconic tale of revenge. The tragedy takes place in Denmark, following the death of Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet. Shortly after his death, King Hamlet’s brother Claudius marries, the Queen, who is prince Hamlet’s mother. The ghost of the dead king later shows himself to Hamlet in order to reveal that he was actually murdered by his own brother Claudius. After the ghost instructs Hamlet to avenge

Distinct Characteristics Valued Organization-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Distinct Characteristics Valued Organization? Answer: Introducation The increasing globalization has enhanced the interactions among people from diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. We no longer work in a confined place, rather everyone is a part of the global economy and the competition is everywhere. I am now working at a IT firm, Envate, as an intern for last two months where I have experienced a diverse situation almost every day. The diverse workplace can be very much beneficial for the organization; therefore our management makes sure that each of the distinct characteristics is valued within the organization. However, the diversity can be improved in the organization by the following methods: The leaders and the senior employees should set an example for valuing the diverse culture (Sabharwal 2014). People always want to follow someone who has value and concern for them. Therefore if the leaders make the entire work environment positive, the organization can expect more productivity from its employees. The diversity policy should be a part of the value statement of the organization. It should be a written and formal promise to the employees that the organization will adhere to the anti-discriminatory practices. Therefore the organization can also let the employees know about the existing diversity plan and ask for more recommendations. The organization can also take initiatives related to the diversity such as they can make all the employees undergo a specific training and development program for removing the unconscious bias from the employees (Barak 2016). This can be a difficult job to do, because unconscious bias is always there in our minds and it tends to influence our judgments without having the wrong feelings. Therefore educating the existing workforce is important for the organization as it will not only remove the bias from the employees while working, but it will also remove the unconscious bias from people who are in charge of recruiting. The organization should also allow everyone in the workforce to have a voice and they can contribute their ideas and share their thoughts at anytime they want. Therefore, the leaders and managers should encourage all the employees to take part in the organizational activities (Joshua and Taylor-Abdulai 2014). The organization can also encourage the employees to make resource groups that can be helpful for those who need extra help. These will improve the diverse situation within the organization and will remove the potential barriers. Managing diversity within the workplace means understanding, accepting and valuing the distinct differences amongst the individual employees within an organization. For this purpose the organizations may also develop a strategic diversity plan for managing the diverse situations. The plan may include: Set the goals: The organization will set the diversity goals. This can be the very first step for developing the strategic plan. If the organization wants to manage the diversity and make positive benefit ut of the situation, they should make a mission statement for managing diversity which can transparently communicate with the employees regarding the stand of the organization. With a mission statement affirming the fact that the organization will embrace and respect all the employees irrespective of their class, abilities, groups, genders, races, ethnicities, regions, sexual orientations, will help the organization also to widen the smaller objectives (Chrobot-Mason and Aramovich 2013). Develop the approach of the plan The pre-determined objectives of the plan should be employee-centric and should also be able to hire and recruit people from diverse backgrounds. The organization should first decide, whether the plan will be employee centric or customer-centric. If the approach is customer-centric, the organization should train its employees so that they are capable of developing the communication skill for reaching the customers. On the other hand, the community related approach can contribute funds and volunteer hours for nonprofit organizations who are serving people from diverse places and backgrounds. Implement the plan After deciding the approach of the plan, the organization should implement the plan by calling a meeting with all the employees. In this meeting the management should answer all the questions of the employees and they will also be asked to participate to the plan (Guillaume et al. 2017). They can contribute to any part of the plan and help the organization in achieving the objectives. However, each of the employees should have a clear vision while participating. Measuring the outcomes After a successful implementation of the plan, the organization should measure the progress of the plan after a certain period of time. The employees can be asked to report their activities. If there is any issue, the organization can also revise the specific goals or if everything is alright, the organization can move to the next stage. Reference List Barak, M.E.M., 2016.Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications. Chrobot-Mason, D. and Aramovich, N.P., 2013. The psychological benefits of creating an affirming climate for workplace diversity.Group Organization Management,38(6), pp.659-689. Guillaume, Y.R., Dawson, J.F., Otaye?Ebede, L., Woods, S.A. and West, M.A., 2017. Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of workplace diversity?.Journal of Organizational Behavior,38(2), pp.276-303. Hill, R., Boyd, A.R., Dawson, A., Olsen, C.H. and Salinas, A., 2017. Roundtable--Workplace Diversity.Journal-American Water Works Association,109(8), pp.56-63. Joshua, B.M. and Taylor-Abdulai, H., 2014. Making ethnic differences count at the workplace: A new paradigm shift for managing diversity in Ghana. Sabharwal, M., 2014. Is diversity management sufficient? Organizational inclusion to further performance.Public Personnel Management,43(2), pp.197-217.

Questions For A Government Assignment Essays - Law, Government

Questions For A Government Assignment National Judiciary 1. During the period before the Constitution was ratified, the Articles of Confederation gave a 2. The Dual Court System works by splitting the courts into 2 distinct systems; the national judiciary system and the state judiciary system. The State Courts deal with most cases in the country. The national judiciary system deals with constitutional and national issues. 3. The 2 kinds of Federal Courts are Special and Constitutional Courts. The Special Courts deal with cases that come from some of the expressed powers given to Congress. The Constitutional Courts are the courts formed by Congress to properly exercise ?the judicial power of the U.S.? The Constitutional Courts consist of The Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeals, the district courts, and the Court of International Trade. The special courts include the Tax Court, the territorial courts, and the Veterans Appeals Courts among others. 4. The Plaintiff is the party who initiates the suit. The defendant is the party who must defend against the complaint. 5. Jurisdiction is the authority of a court to hear and decide a case. 6. Exclusive jurisdiction is the power of federal courts alone to hear certain cases. Concurrent jurisdiction is the power shared by federal and state courts to hear certain cases. Original jurisdiction is the power to hear a case first (before any other court). Appellate jurisdiction is the authority of a court to review decisions of inferior courts. 7. Federal judges are selected by the President of the U.S. of A. on the basis of their political and moral ideals and views. The President usually selects someone who shares the same views as he does. The judges are paid $133,644 annually and they receive retirement benefits as well. The judges are assisted by court clerks, deputy clerks, stenographers, and bailiffs. Inferior Courts 1. The inferior courts are ALL the lower federal courts (those below the Supreme Court). The inferior courts do several things. They try cases and end up handling 80% of the federal caseload. The Court of Appeals are where the decisions of the inferior courts are appealed. The last 2 other inferior courts are the Court of International Trade which deals with civil cases about tariffs and trade-related laws and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit which deals with certain cases in order to speed up the Appeals process. The biggest importance of the inferior courts to the Federal Court system is that the inferior courts weed out most cases before they reach the Supreme court. This helps to keep the court system working quickly and efficiently. The jurisdiction of the inferior Federal Courts are as follows: District Courts-orginal and the Courts of Appeals-appellate. 2. 2 other Constitutional Courts are the Court of International Trade, which has original jurisdiction, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which has a nationwide jurisdiction. Supreme Court 1. The High Court is the Supreme Court. It is the High Court because it is the highest court in the land. The Supreme Court has the final say in cases arising under the Constitution or cases dealing with U.S. treaties. The Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdiction. 2. Judicial review is the power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of the actions of the legislative and executive branches of government. Judicial review came from the Framers of the Constitution and its jurisdiction is both appellate and original. 3. A writ of certiorari is an order by the Supreme Court directing a lower court to send up the record for any given case for its review. 4. A certificate is a method of putting a case before the Supreme Court. It is used a lower court isn't clear about the procedure or the rule of law that should apply in a case and asks the Supreme Court to clarify the answer to a specific question in the matter. 5. The Supreme Court works by first setting a date for the lawyers from both sides to present their oral arguments. After the oral arguments. Before the oral arguments begin, the lawyers file written briefs which cite previous examples in which a court has ruled in favor of their side in a case similar to the one they're arguing. The briefs support one side

Equites, the Roman Knights

Equites, the Roman Knights Equites were Roman horsemen or knights. The name is derived from the Latin for the horse, equus. The equites came to be a social class and a single member of the equestrian class was called an eques. Originally, there were supposed to have been 300 equites during the time of Romulus. 100 were taken from each of the three tribes Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres. Each of these patrician hundreds was a century (centuria) and each century was named for its tribe. They were called celeres. Under Tullus Hostilius there were six centuries. By the time of Servius Tullius, there were 18 centuries, the last twelve drawn from the richest, but not necessarily patrician, men. The Equites and the Roman Army The equites were originally an important division of the Roman army, but over time, they lost their military prominence moving to the wings of the phalanx. They still voted first in the comitia and kept two horses and a groom each- more than any others in the army. When the Roman army started to receive pay, the equites received three times that of the ordinary troops. After Punic War II the equites lost their military position. Roman Politics An eques was bound to a certain number of campaigns, but no more than ten. Upon completion, they entered the first class. Later Equites had the right to sit on juries and came to occupy an important third place in Roman policies and politics, standing between the senatorial class and the people. Disgrace and Dismissal When an eques was deemed unworthy, he was told to sell his horse (vende equum). When no disgrace was involved, someone no longer fit would be told to lead his horse on. There was a waiting list to replace the dismissed eques.

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Final Exam - Essay Example Peoplehood is the consciousness of the fundamental unity that makes a person a part of a society. Peoplehood matrix constitutes four basic principles, a consecrated history, a well-defined terrain, and the environment, a distinct language and a characteristic ceremonial cycle. This paper will look into these principles. Peoplehood features were attributed to socio-cultural, political, economic, and environmental behaviours of Cherokee inhabitants. They included the Cherokee Indians, Delaware, Natchez people and the Shawnee. Membership of Cherokee community entailed certain obligations that had to be met for one to participate in the continuation of a good life in Cherokee nation. For example, young men and women graduated to the elderly and diplomatic stature only after serving as warriors (Mooney 56). Cherokee nation had ceremonies that honoured and cared for the sacred fire analogous to the sun and a symbol of purity. Annually Cherokee people gathered to dance in a bright flame and dark shadows of everlasting fire and ask for help of the fire and the spirits. They believed that as long as the fire burned, Cherokee people were destined to survive (Mails 23). Several Cherokee ceremonies were performed, ceremonial lighting of sacred fire, sacrifice of tobacco or meat, purification of individuals ceremony, all night dances. Concisely, all the ceremonies were linked to the fire. There was danger of neglecting the ceremonies; they believed the spirit could affect the health and well-being of the individual who disobeyed the ceremonies (Kelley 23). Cherokee nation had towns each under the headship of chiefs and war leaders. There were two kinds of chiefs; white chiefs and war chiefs. The white chiefs were elderly and had a mandate to preserve peace. They were resourceful, experienced, and respected people. They also conducted the spiritual ceremonies and helped in conflict resolution (Wilkins 34). The war chiefs or group of warriors had specialized

Sega Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Sega Corporation - Essay Example Learning organizations are those who look to the future; organizations which are constantly in touch with their market and one step ahead of their competition. Sega Corporation, unfortunately, is not a learning organization and, as such, has adhered to strategies which may have been successful in the past but which are no longer so. As Sega’s OD advisor, I have prepared a report which outlines the roots of its failures and argues the efficacy of its adopting a learning organizational model. The literature reviewed underscores the benefits of doing so and precisely articulates what is involved in doing so. Should Sega implement these recommendations, its business performance, as measured through both financial and non-financial indicators will experience discernible improvement. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sega Corporation has decided to transform the company into a learning organization, believing that in so doing, Sega will eventually be in a position to confront its competitors and regain the market shares it lost throughout the past decades. Indeed, Sega’s persistent failure to accurately gauge and effectively respond to changing trends in the electronic home gaming market has resulted in the almost complete loss market shares, not to mention yearly net losses on sales from the mid-1990s to the present.Sega’s inability to confront its competitors or to reclaim its lost market shares reflects a problem within the organization itself

Did Hitler And The Nazis Improve Germany?

Did Hitler And The Nazis Improve Germany? Toxoplasmosis: Causes Symptoms and Treatment Toxoplasmosis: Causes Symptoms and Treatment Toxoplasmosis is an infection that pregnant females can get from a microscopic parasite. This parasite is called Toxoplasma gondii. The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular eukaryotic pathogen of the phylum Apicomplexa may cause toxoplasmosis in many warm-blooded animals, including humans. Trans-placental passage of the parasite causes congenital toxoplasmosis. Transmission frequency and severity of disease vary with gestation time: during the first weeks, vertical transmission is of low rate, although if it occurs, it causes major damage to the embryo. The transmission frequency increases to near 80% by the end of pregnancy, but the proportion of ill new borns is low. The changes in endocrine phenomena occurring during pregnancy, as well as the size and maturity of the placenta and of the embryonic/fetal immune response certainly affect the ability to be protected from invasion or to fight infection. The size of the inoculum is also relevant for congenital infection risk and disease severity. Besides, the genetic background of the mother and the product is likely to influence outcome. Recent investigations have shown surprising phenomena; that is, molecules and cells that protect the mother might favor vertical transmission. Few direct data are available, but indirect evidence points to several candidate polymorphic host immune response genes that may influence fetal infection or clinical outcome of the product. Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is considered as one of the most successful parasites in the world. This success is first illustrated by its worldwide distribution, from arctic to hot desert areas, including isolated islands and in cities. T. gondii is also among the most prevalent parasites in the global human population, with around one third of the population being infected. Finally, it is able to infect, or be present in, the highest number of host species: any warm-blooded animal may act as an intermediate host, and oocysts may be transported by invertebrates such as filtrating mussels and oysters. Beyond this ubiquitous distribution lies a fascinating transmission pattern: simply saying that T. gondii has a complex life cycle does not encompass all transmission routes and modes that can be used by the parasite to pass from definitive hosts (DHs), where sexual reproduction occurs, to intermediate hosts (IHs). The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“classicalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  complex life cycle use s felids (domestic and wild-living cats) as DHs and their prey as IHs. Felids are infected by eating infected prey and host the sexual multiplication of the parasite. They excrete millions of oocysts that sporulate in the environment. Sporulated oocysts may survive during several years and may disperse through water movements, soil movements and micro fauna. Ingesting a single sporulated oocyst may be sufficient to infect an IH and begin the asexual reproduction phase. This classical life cycle thus relies on a prey-predator relationship and on environmental contamination, like other parasites, e.g., Echinococcus multilocularis. However, beside this classical cycle, T. gondii shows specific abilities that allow it to use à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“complementaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  transmission routes. During the phase of asexual multiplication, tachyzoites may disseminate to virtually any organ within the IH, in particular to muscles, brain, placenta, udder and gonads. Asexual forms are then i nfectious to new hosts, thus direct infection among IH is possible by several routes which epidemiological importance has to be discussed: vertical transmission through the placenta, pseudo-vertical transmission through the milk, and sexual transmission through the sperm. In humans, T. gondii may also be transmitted during blood or organ transplant. Finally, the infectivity of asexual forms towards new IHs entails the ability for the parasite to be transmitted among IHs by carnivory. This transmission route is estimated to cause the majority of cases in humans, although people may also get contaminated by ingesting oocysts after a contact with contaminated soil, water, vegetables or cat litter. All the possible transmission routes among IH make the parasite able to maintain its life cycle, at least during a few generations, in the absence of DH and without environmental stage. Moreover, at a high dose, oocysts from the environment may also be infectious for DHs, thus the parasite ma y bypass the IH and use a DHs-environment cycle. The infectivity of oocysts towards cats is relatively low thus the importance of this cycle may be questioned. However, taken together, these observations suggest that T. gondii may theoretically have two distinct life cycles, one among IHs and the other one between DHs and environment. Moreover, in IHs, the infection of the brain results in several specific clinical manifestations, modifications of host behaviour and life history that influence transmission. As a result of its presence in the brain of IHs, T. gondii manipulates host behaviour in two ways, by specifically increasing attractiveness of cat odours to rodent IHs, thus favouring transmission from IH to DH, and by increasing the sexual attractiveness of infected males, which favours sexual transmission. These numerous capacities of transmission clearly allow T. gondii to be distributed worldwide. However, this does not mean that the risk of toxoplasmosis is identical everyw here. On the contrary, a highly structured pattern of infection can be demonstrated, for example by comparing the level of infection of different human populations. Signs and Symptoms Many patients have developed this disease but have had similar symptoms to those of flu or mononucleosis. These symptoms include body aches, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, fever, fatigue and occasionally sore throats. When a female develops this disease prior to or during pregnancy there is about 30% chances that the infection can be passed unto the baby. The baby is at risk of contracting the disease mostly if a female becomes infected in the third trimester and least on the first trimester. Yet if the infection occurs in the early stages of pregnancy, the outcomes are more serious. Many pregnancies can result in stillbirth or miscarriage, and children who survive are born with seizures, enlarged liver or spleen, jaundice, anaemia, bruises and eye infections. A small number of babies that are born with the disease show signs of the disease at birth. Most of those infected develop signs and symptoms until they are on their teens or later. Also babies can develop serious problems suc h as hydrocephalus, intracranial calcifications, intellectual disabilities, motor and developmental delays, and hearing loss. Diagnostic Tests: When acute T. Gondii infection is suspected in pregnant women, toxoplasmosis is diagnosed on the basis of antibody detection. IgG and IgM antibody levels rise generally one to two weeks of infection. However when using the antibody detection it does not distinguish between whether the infection is recent or it was acquired in the distant past. When a woman is found to be infected, the second step is to determine if the baby or fetus is infected. PCR testing of amniotic fluid is used to diagnose congenital toxoplasmosis. Babies can be tested using amniocentesis or ultrasound scan. Treatment: Once diagnosed with Toxoplamosis a treatment with spiramycin (rovamycine) is initiated. If the fetus is confirmed through amniocentesis, the woman can switch to pyrimethamine (daraprim) and sulfadiazine after the first trimester. When women take pyrimethamine, accompanied with it is folinic acid (leucovorin). It protects the bone marrow from the suppressive effects of pyrimethamine. The drug is used to lessen the severity of the disease, but it does not undo previous damage done. Prevention: In order to prevent contracting this disease, pregnant woman should eat fully cooked meat. They should keep kitchen utensils sanitized by washing it with hot soapy water after having contact with raw meat; also they should wear gloves when gardening or touching soil, avoid changing cat litter pans, and be informed about prevention of toxoplasmosis.

The Handmaids Tale :: Handmaids Tale Essays

The Handmaids Tale In Margaret Atwoods novel, "The Handmaids Tale", the birth rate in the United States had dropped so low that extremists decided to take matters into their own hands by killing off the government, taking over themselves, and reducing the womens role in society to that of a silent birthing machine. One handmaid describes what happened and how it came about as she, too, is forced to comply with the new order. Before the new order, known as the Sons of Jacob, took over, women had a lot to be afraid of. They had freedom to do whatever they wanted, but this freedom was severely inhibited by maniacs who could strike at any time. Women followed rules to keep them out of danger, but they were not enforced. "I remember the rules, rules that were never spelled out but that every woman knew; dont open your door to a stranger, even if he is the police. Make him slide his ID under the door. Dont stop on the road to help a motorist pretending to be in trouble. Keep the locks on and keep going. If anyone whistles, dont turn to look. Dont go into a laundromat, by yourself, at night . .. Women were not protected then."(p. 24) Nobody believed it could happen to them. When the Sons of Jacob took over and began to take away their freedom, they accepted it. They were afraid and the Sons gave them some security. Because they accepted the first few laws, it was hard to refuse to not go along with the ones that followed. When the women were finally stripped of their identities, they felt as though they had deserved it because they had done nothing to try and save any of their other rights. "We looked at one anothers faces and saw dismay, and a certain shame, as if wed been caught doing something we shouldnt. Its outrageous one woman said, but without belief. What was it about this that made us feel we deserved it?"(p. 166) The Sons used this insecurity to round up the women and place them in institutions where they would be "safe". Once they had them within their

Guilt and Shame

The society of traditional  Japan  was long held to be a good example of one in which shame is the primary agent of  social control. The first book to cogently[citation needed]  explain the workings of the Japanese society for the Western reader was  The Chrysanthemum and the Sword. This book was produced under less than ideal circumstances since it was written during the early years of  World War II  in an attempt to understand the people who had become such a powerful enemy of the West. Under the conditions of war it was, of course, impossible to do  field research  in Japan.Nevertheless, depending on the study of members of that culture who were  available for interview and study in the West, namely war prisoners at detention centers, as well as literary and other such records pertaining to cultural features,  Ruth Benedict  drew what some regard[who? ]  as a clear picture of the basic workings of Japanese society. Her study has been challenged and is not relied upon by anthropologists of Japan today. Contemporary  Western society  uses shame as one modality of control, but its primary dependence rests on  guilt, and, when that does not work, on the  criminal justice  system.Paul Hiebert  characterizes the shame society as follows: Shame is a reaction to other people's criticism, an acute personal chagrin at our failure to live up to our obligations and the expectations others have of us. In true shame oriented cultures, every person has a place and a duty in the society. One maintains self-respect, not by choosing what is good rather than what is evil, but by choosing what is expected of one. Personal desires are sunk in the collective expectation. Those who fail will often turn their aggression against themselves instead of using violence against others.By punishing themselves they maintain their self-respect before others, for shame cannot be relieved, as guilt can be, by  confession  and atonement. Shame is remov ed and honor restored only when a person does what the society expects of him or her in the situation, including committing suicide if necessary. (Hiebert 1985, 212) guilt society  is one in which the primary method of  social control  is the inculcation of feelings of  guilt  for behaviors that the society defines as undesirable. It involves an implicit judgment on the being (rather than just the behavior) of the individual: â€Å"You are an  evil  person if you would do such-and-so. It also involves creating the  expectation  of punishment now (when the behavior fails to be kept secret) and/or in the hereafter. One of the interesting features of many such societies is that they inculcate feelings of guilt for feelings and/or impulses that the individual cannot help but feel. Where a  shame societymight tell its members that sexual interactions are to be hidden from general view or knowledge, a guilt society may tell people that they are guilty or sinful for me re  sexual desire.A prominent feature of guilt societies is the provision of sanctioned releases from guilt for certain behaviors either before the fact, as when one condemns sexuality but permits it conditionally in the context of marriage, or after the fact. There is a clear opportunity in such cases for authority figures to derive power, monetary and/or other advantages, etc. by manipulating the conditions of guilt and the forgiveness of guilt. Paul Hiebert characterizes the guilt society as follows: Guilt is a feeling that arises when we violate the absolute standards of  morality  within us, when we violate our conscience.A person may suffer from guilt although no one else knows of his or her misdeed; this feeling of guilt is relieved by confessing the misdeed and making restitution. True guilt cultures rely on an internalized conviction of sin as the enforcer of good behavior, not, as shame cultures do, on external sanctions. Guilt cultures emphasize punishment and forgi veness as ways of restoring the moral order; shame cultures stress self-denial and humility as ways of restoring the social order. (Hiebert 1985, 213) GUILT, SHAME,  and embarrassment are forms of social control.Whether these are cast in evolutionary, psychological, or cultural terms, we should not lose sight of that basic function. These emotions may not always be portrayed in these terms, but that is how they have evolved and become embedded in our cultural beliefs and practices. It is in this context that we should raise the question: Are there shame cultures as opposed to guilt cultures, with corresponding differences in how people within them experience guilt and shame? In American culture (and Western cultures enerally), personal identity is conceived of as being independent and autonomous. Society is seen as a collection of self-contained individuals who are held responsible for their own behavior. One's interests are best served by allowing maximum freedom and responsibili ty in choosing one's objectives. Moral precepts are based on conceptions of justice. Even when these are tempered by interpersonal obligations, the focus remains on individuals who must balance their responsibilities between the self and significant others.THE PRIMARY  moral obligation is to avoid harming significant others. It is when you cause harm, or are unjust, that you feel guilty. Being responsive to the needs of others is desirable, but is not a moral duty. Individuals are free to follow their inclinations within the limits of the law and in consideration of the rights of others. Their obligations to others are defined in negative terms—what they should not do—rather than as positive duties of what they should do. Whereas the failure to uphold justice is a vice, the failure to be beneficent to others is only a lack of moral virtue.By contrast, in Asian contexts, one's identity is defined in relation to the group one belongs to, typically the family. Whereas i n the West, a person would be known as Jane or John Doe, in the East, they would be identified as members of the Doe family. In her study of Indian Hindus, psychologist Joan Miller found that the primary basis of determining moral conduct was not justice but a person's duties to significant others. Among Americans, moral duty is imposed on the individual to constrain that individual's actions.For Hindus, doing one's duty meant both meeting one's obligations as well as realizing one's own nature. Therefore acting benevolently toward others was not an aim secondary to considerations of justice, nor was it a matter of acting above and beyond the call of duty—fulfilling one's social duty was the primary purpose of moral conduct. These differences lead to contrasting ways of determining what is moral. For instance, if there is no other way to help a friend in need, it would be ethical for an Indian to steal but unethical for an American to do so even if it means failing to help th e friend.These differences are not absolute; nonetheless, twice as many Indians as Americans would give priority to interpersonal considerations over abstract ethical principles. Moreover, Indians were more prone than Americans to make contextual exceptions (where the morality of an action depends on the nature of the relationship and the circumstances of the case), whereas Americans took a more absolute view about an action being right or wrong, irrespective of other considerations. The moral objective in the West, as noted above, is to avoid doing wrong and is more objective; in the East, it is to do what is right and is more subjective.Similar considerations apply in other Asian cultures. In China, the family is the â€Å"great self. † One starts by literally owing one's life to one's parents. One's primary obligation in life is to serve and protect social ties, not pursue personal goals. Similarly, while Americans place a high premium on self-reliance, the Japanese favor interdependence and harmonious integration within the group. Individuals in both groups are highly competitive, but in different ways. Americans want to  get ahead  of others; the Japanese are concerned with not falling behind; instead of pushing ahead, they line up sideways.The personal boundaries of Americans have been compared to the hard shell of an egg; those of the Japanese, to an egg's soft internal membrane. Erich Lessing/Art Resource This individualistic-versus-interdependent basis of moral judgment helps clarify the problematic distinctions between shame and guilt cultures. Instead of these designations explaining differences in such a way that makes one culture seem morally superior to another, they explain cultural differences as the outcome of serving different needs.In the Western context of individualism, guilt, with its emphasis on autonomy, provides a better moral foundation for guiding individuals who are responsible for themselves. With a lesser sense of respo nsibility for others, there is less need for shame as a form of social control. By contrast, in the Asian cultural context, where maintaining harmony in relationships is most valued, shame is a more effective means of moral control. Since personal boundaries extend beyond the individual, it becomes more difficult to generate guilt. When someone does wrong, it is not only the person but everyone related to that person who shares in the guilt.Therefore, shame in Asian cultures fulfills some of the same functions of social control that guilt does in the West and vice versa. These considerations are important to our understanding of differences in the ways guilt and shame are perceived in Western and Eastern religion. . . . For instance, the centrality of shame in Confucianism has led to the general impression that Confucian China is a shame society, and hence is ethically less developed. [Religion scholar] Mark Berkson [MA '92, PhD '00] has raised cogent arguments that this characteriz ation is not valid.Confucian ethics, far from being ethically less well developed, offers much to others to learn from. While generally framed in East/West terms, these differences between guilt and shame can also be seen within Western culture itself in historical perspective. Homeric heroes in ancient Greece were driven by the twin virtues honor and fame. In their warlike society such virtues were best manifested on the battlefield. The self-esteem of heroes like Achilles, Odysseus, and Oedipus depended on their standing in the eyes of their peers, with whom they were in fierce competition and often conflict.Failure led to loss of face and shame. Consequently, shame has been generally assumed to be the predominant moral sentiment that motivated and restrained the ancient Greeks. Their shame culture was based on public esteem. What mattered was where one stood with respect to one's peers, who constituted an honor-group. This view has been challenged by moral philosopher Bernard Wil liams, who argues that Greek conceptions of shame also included elements of guilt. The moral objective in the West is to avoid doing wrong; in the East, to do what is right. These cultural differences are embedded in various languages as well.This makes translating terms like guilt and shame a common source of confusion. For example, when we look for synonyms for shame and guilt in Chinese, we do not find single terms that correspond to them. Rather, we find a number of terms that correspond to various types of shame, making distinctions that do not exist in English. In some contexts, even guilt may appear as a subsidiary form of shame. Even if the terms to designate them vary, are these emotions universal or culture specific? Do an American and an Indian experience guilt and shame the same way, whatever they call them?There are no simple answers to this question. Some emotions appear to be more universal than others; for instance, it is hard to imagine a culture that does not recog nize expressions of fear or anger. However, when it comes to complex emotions like guilt and shame, which are more subject to cultural variation, the picture becomes less clear. Even the fact that a culture has no word for an emotion does not mean that the emotion it represents is absent. Linguists point out that even if certain emotions are universal, their terminology is not.For instance, there is no word for â€Å"disgust† in Polish. And in one Australian aboriginal language, â€Å"fear† and â€Å"shame† are expressed by the same word (associated with the impulse to retreat). The common error is to start with one's own language and look for exact translations in other languages. Ultimately, it is not through specific terms like â€Å"guilt† or â€Å"shame† but throughmetalanguage—descriptions of the essential elements in emotional states— that we can test the universality of the emotions. For instance, the answer to â€Å"How do y ou feel when you have lost someone dear to you? would convey the idea of sadness better than would the answer to the question â€Å"Do you feel sad? † How does the evolutionary view help us in  dealing with guilt? This is not a matter explicitly addressed by evolutionary psychologists. . . . Nonetheless, the evolutionary basis of the capacity for altruism and the capacity to feel guilty provides us with a natural foundation for guilt, and hence the need for its acceptance and usefulness. If guilt is indeed part of our nature, and there are good reasons for it, it makes no sense to fight it or deny it. Related essay: Shame is Worth a TryAccepting guilt as a fact of life therefore makes it easier to approach it in a positive manner, and perhaps helps us to resolve it in more authentic and adaptive ways. HERANT KATCHADOURIAN,  who came to Stanford in 1966, is an emeritus professor of psychiatry and human biology and former president of the Flora Family Foundation. He has received the Dinkelspiel and Lyman awards and has been selected seven times as Outstanding Professor and Class Day speaker. HONOR AND SHAME  IN A MIDDLE EASTERN SETTING| Roland Muller Copyright 2000 All rights reserved. Sociologists have recognized that three social issues have existed since earliest times.As civilizations formed, each of them grappled with the concept of fear, shame and guilt. These are, in essence the building blocks of society. Every society has its particular ways of dealing with these issues. And each of these issues have different importance, depending on the cultural makeup of that society . These three aspects make up the basic building blocks of worldview. It is similar to the three basic colors that an artist mixes to make all the colors of the universe. On my computer, I can mix the three primary colors to make up 64 million other colors. That's the way it is with worldview.There are many different kinds of worldview, but when carefully examined they can be better understood when looking at them in the light of man's response to guilt, shame and fear. Sociologists have used terms like guilt-based cultures, and shame-based cultures for years now. We must be careful, however, not to try and fit each culture or worldview into one specific category such as fear based or shame based. As I stated, these building blocks are similar to an artist, creating thousands of colors from three basic primary colors. How much of each primary color is used, determines what the final color will be when the paint is mixed.In the same way, all three building blocks are present in all c ultures and worldviews, but how much of each one is present, determines the actual type of culture that emerges. Having determined this, one must also consider how people in a particular local culture react to the elements of the overall culture. As an example, when an Arab is shamed, he may react by taking revenge on the one who causes the shame, but when an oriental is shamed, he may react by committing suicide. So while individual cultures may react to sin in different way, in general terms there are great blocks of the world that have similar worldviews.Where are the major blocks? Many western nations (Northern Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand) have cultures that contain mostly guilt-based cultural characteristics. On the other hand, much of the Middle East and Asia is made up shame-based cultures. Most of the primal religions and cultures of the world (such as tribes in the jungles of Africa, Asia, and South America) are structured around fear-based principles. The problem comes when we want to simply classify cultures into these three basic classifications. They do not easily fit, because they are made up of blends of all three.Thus, when analyzing a culture, one must look for the primary cultural characteristics, and then the secondary ones. As an example, many North American Native cultures are made up of elements of both shame-based and fear-based cultures. On the other hand, much of North American culture has been made up almost exclusively of guilt-based principles, although this has changed in the last two decades. As cultures and worldviews developed over the millennia, they have gravitated towards one of these groups. This polarization has created three mega-trends in worldview.While the majority of worldviews fits into these three classifications, many cultures draw equally from two or all three worldviews. This mixing of worldviews is especially noticeable in South America where jungle tribes with fear-based cultures come in co ntact with shame-based cultures originating out of southern Spain, and guilt-based cultures brought by western religion and western business. The goal of this paper is to simply introduce the idea of guilt, shame and fear based cultures, and then to examine how the Nabataean culture fit into this picture.Along the way I will use illustrations drawn from many cultures of the world, including modern Muslim culture. Guilt-Based Culture None of us lives in exactly the same culture. Culture varies from town to town, family to family and sometimes even from individual to individual. All of us are different. We are made up of different fabrics and formed by the different experiences that come into our lives on a day to day basis. Even those who try to define â€Å"American† or â€Å"Canadian† culture can only talk in vague generalizations. Americans come from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds, and have all kinds of values.Some live in middle class housing, some in cardboard box es on the street, and some in large impressive mansions. It's hard to place categorizations and descriptions on people who are so diverse. Despite this, however, there are some general characteristics or mega-traits that fit the majority of people in the western world. Certain basic fundamental beliefs have molded western civilization. These beliefs have laid the foundations upon which these nations are built, and from which the fabric of their society has been formed. One of these basic foundations is their belief in right versus wrong.This understanding is so deeply ingrained in western culture, that westerners analyze almost everything from this perspective. Most western forms of entertainment are built upon ‘the good guys and the bad guys. ‘ It is so familiar to westerners that few of them question its validity. It is such an integral part of religion and society, that they often cannot imagine a world where ‘right versus wrong' isn't the accepted basic underly ing principle. ‘Right versus wrong' is the yardstick used in their culture to measure everything else with.They talk about the rightness and wrongness of someone else's actions. They talk about things being â€Å"right for me. † They are obsessed with knowing their rights and exercising them. Many western societies spend countless hours and billions of dollars debating the wrongs of society. Is homosexuality right or wrong? Is spending billions on the military right or wrong? Is possession of drugs right or wrong? How about possession of nuclear bombs, or weapons of mass destruction? Almost every major issue the west struggles with involves an aspect of deciding whether something is right or wrong.They arrive at this basic tension in life because almost everything in western culture is plotted on a guilt/innocence line. (Innocence being something defined as being right or righteousness). Guilt —————————- Inn ocence The pulls and demands of these two diametrically opposed forces dictate much of western human behavior. Guilt can plague and haunt people bringing fear and condemnation upon them. Many westerners do everything they can to avoid being guilty. Psychologists spend a great deal of their time helping people deal with all sorts of guilt complexes.Evangelical Christians in particular, often live in circles that are governed by guilt principles based on the authority of the Bible. Outside of these circles, guilt is defined in many other ways. It can be a sense of public disapproval, being in trouble with the authorities, or not being politically correct. However guilt is defined, and to what extent it influences a culture varies widely from location to location. However, the understanding of right and wrong has been instrumental in forming much of western society. On the other end of the spectrum, is righteousness, or innocence.This is the unspoken goal of much of western society. â €Å"I'm OK, you're OK† is the most comfortable situation for many. Many westerners express their innocence with the statement that they are as good as the next person. If this is true, then they can get about their business of pursuing happiness and pleasure within the bounds of being OK and not guilty. Most westerners do what they can to avoid being guilty and at the same time exercise their rights. This guilt/innocence thinking is so ingrained in western society that most westerners have immediate reflexes to events that catch them off guard.Being a westerner, I have often noticed some of the reflexes that we have developed. Have you ever noticed what happens in the swimming pool when the lifeguard blows his whistle? Almost all westerners will stop to see who is guilty, and when they realize they are innocent will resume swimming. This is a normal scenario from the western world, but it is not true in much of the eastern world. When we in the western world do something wron g, like unintentionally running a red light, we may feel guilty. This is also not necessarily true in the eastern world. Or, how about this scenario?Imagine a classroom full of grade school kids. Suddenly, the intercom interrupts their class. Johnny is being called to the principle's office. What is the immediate reaction of the other children? In the west the immediate reaction would almost always be: â€Å"What did you do wrong? † Even western children almost always immediately assume guilt. Perhaps the school principal was going to hand out rewards, but much of western society conditions people to expect the worst, and they feel pangs of guilt. So much of western thinking is wrapped up in guilt. Wars are justified on the basis of establishing guilt.During the opening days of the Gulf War, the American government spent many hours and millions of dollars determining if Saddam Hussein was guilty. Once they thought they had established that he was guilty of committing atrociti es they had the right to take military action against him. Throughout the war, they continued to make statements about Mr. Hussein's deranged mental state and irrational actions. All of this helped justify the war. In fact, all during the history of western civilizations, wars have had to be justified, and each side identifies the other as being the ‘bad guys. But some things are not easy to chart between right and wrong. Is a hungry child stealing food guilty? Should he be punished despite his hunger? These questions disturb us, because we feel that everything in life must fit somewhere between guilt and innocence. In fact, western association with guilt has gone so far as to provide an avenue for people to develop guilt complexes. They feel guilt for what they have done and also guilt for what they have not done. They even feel guilt for what others have done. People who struggle with a guilt complex can even be overcome with embarrassment and feelings of guilt from the acti ons of others.The flip side of guilt is innocence, righteousness, and exercising rights. As I mentioned, â€Å"I'm OK, you're OK† is an important philosophy in western culture. In order not to point a finger at people, western society continues to expand the limits of what is acceptable activity. By making homosexuality acceptable, they help thousands of people avoid feeling guilty. This alone is enough to convince many people in western society that it's OK for people to be homosexual. In fact, almost anything is tolerated as long as it doesn't hurt another person.I have been surprised to discover that many people in our western world believe that our fixation with right and wrong is not only normal, but also the only correct way to think. They assume that anyone, who does not think in these terms, does not think rationally or logically. In order to understand guilt-based culture, we must go back to Greek and Roman times, and examine the origin of this pattern of thinking, a nd discover how this has had an impact on society and religion. The Roman Connection The Roman Empire has come and gone, leaving us with a few ruined cities, and a wealth of stories about conquest and heroism.While most of what the Romans accomplished has disappeared, there is one facet of Roman life that has impacted the west, right down to the present. It is the Roman law, or the ‘pax romana' (Roman peace) which was brought about by everyone obeying the Roman law. Roman law introduced the concept that the law was above everyone, even the lawmakers. This idea was not totally new. The Jews under Moses understood this. Greek politicians developed a similar plan with their city-state, but with laws that were man made, not divine. The Romans, however, perfected the system, and put it into widespread use.They developed a type of democracy known as the republic. They put in place a complex legal system that required lawmakers, lawyers, and judges. This Roman system of law left a tr emendous impact on western society. Even to this day, much of the western legal system is still built around the basic Roman code of law. Western civilization today is littered with references to the Roman Empire. Much of their coins, architecture, and language have Roman roots. Legal and economic theories are so filled with Romanisms that westerners no longer see them for what they are.They have become so much a part of their mental furniture, that few people today question them. As an example, Roman law during the Roman Empire assumed that the individual's rights were granted by the state (by government) and that lawmakers can make up laws. Under Roman law, the state was supreme, and rights were granted or erased whenever lawmakers decided. This philosophy is sometimes called ‘statism. ‘ Its basic premise is that there is no law higher than the government's law. Roman politicians were not the first to invent statism but hey did such an effective job of applying it, tha t the Roman Empire has become the guiding star for politicians in the west. Statists see the â€Å"pax romana,† the period in which Rome dominated the Mediterranean world, as the golden days of statism. The known world was â€Å"unified† and controlled by one large government. This unification was symbolized in Roman times by something known as the  fasces. This was a bundle of wooden rods bound together by red-colored bands. In ancient Rome the fasces was fixed to a wooden pole, with an ax at the top or side. This symbolized the unification of the people under a single government.The ax suggested what would happen to anyone who didn't obey the government. The Roman fasces became the origin of the word fascism. During Roman times, pax romana (the Roman peace) meant, â€Å"do as you are told, don't make waves, or you will be hauled away in chains. † Roman Law was supreme. In contrast to this, there was the old way of obeying the supreme ruler. Under this system , the word of the ruler was law. With the Republic, the Romans elevated law, so that it was above the ruler. Now everyone, even the emperor of Rome had to obey the law. The law, not the ruler determined if people were innocent or guilty.It is interesting to note, that as the early Christian church developed and grew, Roman law also had an impact on Christian theology. Since Roman law interpreted everything in the terms of right versus wrong, early Christians were deeply influenced by this thinking. Early Church Theologians Tertullian,  the early church father who first developed a code of systematic theology, was a lawyer steeped in Roman law. Using his understanding of law, and the need for justice, guilt, and redemption, he laid the basis for Christian systematic theology, as it would develop in the west.Tertullian was born shortly before 160 AD, into the home of a Roman centurion on duty in Carthage. He was trained in both Greek and Latin, and was very much at home in the class ics. He became a proficient Roman lawyer and taught public speaking and practiced law in Rome, where he was converted to Christianity. In the years that followed he became the outstanding apologist of the Western church and the first known author of Christian systematic theology. Basil the Great  was born in 329 AD, and after completing his education in Athens he went on to practice law and teach rhetoric. In 370 AD, Basil, the awyer, became Basil the Bishop when he was elected bishop of Caesarea. During his time as Bishop he wrote many books in defense of the deity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit. Basil's training in law and rhetoric gave him the tools he needed to speak out in defense of the church. Next came  Augustine  who was born in 354 AD into the home of a Roman official in the North African town of Tagaste. He received his early education in the local school, where he learned Latin to the accompaniment of many beatings. He hated studying the Greek language so much th at he never learned to use it proficiently.He was sent to school in nearby Madaura and from there went to Carthage to study rhetoric, a technique used in Roman law for debate. He then taught legal rhetoric in his hometown and Carthage until he went to Milan in 384 AD. He was converted in 386 and became a priest in 391. He returned to Africa and became a prolific writer and bishop. No other Christian after Paul has had such a wide and deep impact on the Christian world through his writings as Augustine. Ambrose  was born around 340 AD, in Gaul. When his father, the prefect of Gaul, died, the family moved to Rome where Ambrose was educated for the legal profession.Later, he was appointed civil governor over a large territory, being headquartered in Milan. Upon the death of the bishop of Milan in 374, the people unanimously wanted him to take that position. Believing this to be the call of God, he gave up his high political position, distributed his money to the poor, and became a bi shop. In 374, Ambrose demonstrated his ability in the fields of church administration, preaching, and theology. But as always, his training in Roman law enforced his views of guilt and righteousness. Have you noticed the impact that law and lawyers had on the development of the early church?This trend did not stop with the early church. Reformation Theologians John Calvin  was born in 1505 in northeastern France where his father was a respected citizen. He studied Humanistic Studies at the University of Paris, and then law at the University of Orleans, and finally at the University of Bourges. Sometime between 1532 and 1533 he converted and adopted the ideas of the reformation. The writings of John Calvin, the lawyer and theologian, have had a tremendous impact on our society. Calvin was not alone. Arnauld Antoine the French  theologian (1612-1694), studied at Calvi and Lisieux, first law, then theology.He was made a priest and doctor in 1634. Arnauld spoke out against the Jesui ts and his writings added to the impact of the reformation. There are more examples of theologians who were also lawyers, such as  Martin Luther, but this list will suffice to point out that legal thought and expression had much to do with the development of the theology of the Early Church and the Reformation. Each of these church leaders continued to develop the relationship between Christianity, as it was known in the west, and the legal understanding of guilt, justice, and righteousness.These lawyers were concerned with establishing guilt, or innocence, and they brought this emphasis with them, into their theology. And so the western church that developed used this theology to build their civilizations. In the ensuing years, new nations in the New World would be founded on the theological basis developed by these church leaders. The United States of America was founded on these principles. The American founders attempted to establish a nation built on the Roman principle of a republic, and on the early church's understanding of right and wrong.Today, it is interesting to notice that there are many non-western sources who link guilt-based culture with Christianity. In October 1999, Isaiah Kalinowski, the Opinion Editor for the Jordan Times, wrote an article entitled â€Å"The Shame Culture that is Wabash. † In this article he pointed out: â€Å"†¦ guilt culture is due largely to Christianity. A shame culture is one in which individuals are kept from transgressing the social order by fear of public disgrace. On the other hand, in a guilt culture, one's own moral attitudes and fear of retribution in the distant future are what enforce the ethical behavior of a member of that society. From Kalinowski's perspective, guilt-based culture is linked to Christian theology. This is an unfortunate misrepresentation, as the Bible was written in a shame-based setting and speaks to all cultures and worldviews. On the other hand, Christians, must recognize the incredible impact that guilt-based culture has had on their history and understanding and interpretation of the Bible. The Eastern Scene Christianity in the east, however, developed differently. Eastern theologians did not use Roman law as a vehicle for interpreting the gospel.Rather, the eastern world was caught up in the shame-honor relationship that was prevalent in societies scattered from the Middle East to the Far East. Eastern Orthodox theology didn't deal directly with sin, guilt, and redemption. Chrysostom,  the early church theologian for the Eastern Church, was born about 345 AD into a wealthy aristocratic family in Antioch. He was a student of the sophist Libanius who had been a friend of the Emperor Julian. This man gave him a good training in the Greek classics and rhetoric that laid the foundation for his excellent speaking ability.After his baptism in 368, he became a monk in the eastern churches. Chrysostom rose to being an outstanding preacher, even winning t he acclaim of the emperor. Today we have a record of around 680 of Chrystostom's sermons and homilies and I am told that he never once preached on justification. In the end, he was banished because he spoke out so sharply against the views of the western theologians. In the same way,  Islam,  which rose to prominence around 600 AD, teaches that God remains over all, and that law is in his hands, not the hands of lawmakers.The Qur'an enforces the principle that God is overall with the story about Pharaoh and how he was shown Allah's â€Å"mightiest miracle, but he denied it and rebelled. ‘  The Pharaoh quickly went away and summoning all his men, made to them a proclamation. ‘I am your supreme Lord. ‘  The Qur'an then tells us that Allah â€Å"Smote him,† and goes on to warn, â€Å"Surely in this there is a lesson for the God fearing. † Therefore it would be unthinkable to a Muslim, that a lawmaker could make a law that is over all. This is wh y Islam presents both a religious and a cultural pattern for people to live by. God dictates both moral laws and civil laws.Western Historians Roman law and thinking has also impacted the way we westerner look at history. The danger comes, when we westerners take our Roman understanding of civilization and culture and apply it to those who do not have a Roman-based culture. We fruitlessly spend untold hours and incalculable amounts of energy explaining to what motivates people and shapes society, when in truth, we don't understand the real principles of the other culture. The answer to this dilemma is quite simple. We westerners must put our Roman, guilt-based understanding of culture and history aside, and strive to understand other worldviews and their thinking.Then we need to return to our history books and discover what is happening in a society that is not pre-occupied with right and wrong, or guilt and innocence. Fear-Based Cultures As we drew near to the jungle village, the s ound of drums could be heard. Drawing closer, we could see people dancing and withering on the ground. A man approached us and explained that they could not go further. The village was doing a sacred rite to improve the economy and bring more trade to the area. We were escorted away and not given a chance to introduce why we had come to their village.Later we heard that a human sacrifice had been offered to the spirits that day. In another situation we arrived in a village when a rain-making ceremony was about to begin. They were invited to watch. A black bull was led to the edge of the village where it faced the direction from where the rain would come. The animal's throat was cut and it fell over on its left side, to the delight of all. This indicated that the sacrifice was acceptable. The men then cut up the meat and cooked it. As the meat was cooking, an old man began to shout out a prayer to the spirits for rain. Soon everyone joined in.After the meat was eaten, the shouting tu rned into dancing. The villagers danced all afternoon until the rain came. It rained so heavily that everyone had to run for shelter. Did the rituals bring the rain? To the natives it was obvious and there was no way that we rational westerners convince them otherwise. As these two stories illustrate, there are many people in the world today whose lives revolve around their interaction with the spiritual world. They believe that gods and spirits exist in the universe and they must live in peace with these unseen powers, either by living quietly, or by appeasing these powers.Based on their worldview, these cultures and peoples view the universe as a place filled with gods, demons, spirits, ghosts, and ancestors. Man needs to live at peace with the powers around him, and often man lives in fear. This fear is based on a number of different things. First, man fears man. Tribal wars are endemic, with captives becoming slaves or, sometimes, a meal for cannibals. Whenever tribes encounter people from outside of their own group, they approached them with suspicion and fear. Secondly, these people fear the supernatural.All around them events are taking place that can only be explained by the supernatural. Much like the ancient civilizations, they have developed spiritual explanations for how things work in this world. If crops fail, then specific gods or demons are responsible. If sickness comes, then other gods or demons are responsible. If a tribe fails in battle, it is because of the activity of a god or demon. Sickness is often viewed as a god reaping revenge. Everything in life, even romance, is somehow attributed to the activities of gods or demons. The struggle that these people face is simply one of needing power.Using their voodoo, charms, and other methods, they seek to gain control over other people and over the controlling powers of the universe. The paradigm that these people live in is one of fear versus power. At the end of the 19th century, E. B. Tylor attempted to understand the difference in thinking between Europeans and other peoples living in Africa and South America. In his writings he coined the word ‘animism' from the Latin word  anima  for ‘soul. ‘ He saw the animistic worldview as interpreting everything from a spiritual philosophy rather than a materialistic philosophy.Many sociologists of Tylor's era saw mankind moving from an ancient worldview based on the supernatural to a modern worldview based on science and reality. Dave Burnett states in his book  Unearthly Powers,  that H. W. Turner later advocated the use of the term primal religion, meaning that â€Å"these religions both anteceded the great historic religions and continue to reveal many of the basic or primary features of religion. † Almost everywhere you find animists or primal religions you find people living under the influence of a fear-based culture.Burnett goes on to state, â€Å"Power can be understood in many ways: ph ysical, political, economic, social, and religious. The secular worldview tends to regard all power as originating from within the material world. †¦ In contrast, primal worldviews see such powers not only as being real within the empirical world but as having their primary origin outside the visible world. † In this way, those whose lives operate in the fear/power paradigm see themselves living in a physical world that co-exists and is influenced by unseen powers. These powers may be present in people or animals or even in inanimate objects like trees or hills.In some cultures, powers may be perceived in personal terms such as we would use for living beings. These powers are often regarded as having their own particular character, feeling, and ability to relate to others, and often, even have a will of their own. Like people, they may be angered, placated, or turned to in time of need. Power is an important concept in fear-based cultures. In the Pacific Islands it is oft en called ‘mana,' while the Iroquois of North America call it ‘orenda,' which particularly refers to the mystic power derived from a chant. The Eskimos have the notion of ‘sila,' a force watching and controlling everything.The Chinese have the concept of ‘fung shui,' or the powers within the earth and sea. In folk Islam the term ‘baraka'  (blessing or holiness) sometimes embraces many of these concepts. In most fear/power cultures, the main way of dealing with a power is to establish rules to protect the unwary from harm and procedures to appease those powers that are offended. These rules and procedures are generally referred to as taboo. Taboos come in the form of things like special people, forbidden or unclean foods, sacred objects, special acts or rituals, and special names.Appeasements are usually made in the form of sacrifice or dedication to the invisible powers. These powers can take various forms, such as: ghosts, demons, ancestors who live around people, spirits in trees and rocks, and totems (clans associated with certain animals or inanimate objects. ) In order to deal with these powers, rituals are established which people believe will affect the powers around them. Rituals are performed on certain calendar dates, and at certain times in someone's life (rites of passage), or in a time of crisis.In order to appease the powers of the universe, systems of appeasement are worked out. They vary from place to place. Some civilizations offer incense while some offer their children as sacrifices to gods. However it is done, a system of appeasement, based on fear is the norm for their worldview. Wherever this system of appeasement comes into being, religious persons come to the forefront to control these systems. In some cases they are known as priests. In other cases they are known as witch doctors, or shamans. Whatever their title, their role is the same. They are the ones who hold power.Often they are the only ones who u nderstand the needs of the gods or demons, and they are the ones through whom the demons or gods communicate. In every fear-based culture, the pattern is much the same. The witch doctor, priest, or shaman controls people through the use of fear. They are very effective in their roles, and as a result, whole cultures and people groups are held in their iron grip. Early Religion As archeologists and historians have dug through the sands of time, they have uncovered temples and signs of religious activity that reflect strong fear-based elements in early civilizations.Along with this, the structure of civilizations where rulers held absolute power reflects a fear-power base for their civilization. Kings, pharaohs, and rulers held supreme authority and wielded power through the fear that they instilled in the members of their civilization. This allowed civilizations like the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians and others to conquer wide areas of their world. While we can deduce the fear-po wer aspect in these civilizations from ancient buildings and military records, it is much harder to detect the importance of shame and honor. Shame-Based Cultures Our taxi screeched to a halt.Lying in the middle of the street was a teen-age girl, dying. She had been shot in the head four times. Just then her brother walked across the street with two policemen and stated, â€Å"There she is. I killed her because she was in an immoral situation with a man. † Under the laws of the country, the young man was innocent. He had not committed murder but had preserved the honor of his family. In another case, a girl ran away from home. Later her family learned she had married someone from another religion. They were furious. The police imprisoned the girl so that she would be protected from her family.Elderly grandmothers taunted the brother and father. â€Å"How long do we need to keep our heads to the ground in shame? Won't you do something to cleanse the shame from our tribe so we can raise our heads and live in honor once again? † The family finally agreed to pay the police a $50,000. 00 guarantee that they would not hurt her and she was released into their custody. Within hours her father and brother shot her thirteen times. The entire family was pleased that honor had been restored. The guilt/innocence perspective in which westerners live dictates much of our thinking in the west.However, not everyone in the world operates within this paradigm. As I mentioned earlier, while living in the Middle East I noticed that when the lifeguard at a swimming pool blew his whistle, the westerners all stopped to see who was guilty, but the Arabs kept right on swimming. As I observed this and other phenomena, I began to realize that Arabs and Arab society were operating in another whole dimension. Guilt did not have the same power and influence as it did in the west. While they were aware of guilt, it didn't have the same strong connotations for them as it had for me.If a policeman pulled me over, I immediately felt guilty, thinking that perhaps I had done something wrong. But when my Arab friends were pulled over, they didn't display any sign of guilt. They talked boldly to the policeman, and even argued loudly with him over the issues at hand. It was only after many years of living in a Muslim culture that it started to dawn on me that the Arabs around me were not operating on a level of guilt versus innocence. Nor were they operating in a fear versus power paradigm. I had heard much about this from missionaries living in Africa but it didn't seem to apply to the Arabs of the Levant.Rather, I discovered that Arabs were living in a worldview where the predominant paradigm was shame versus honor. Once I clued in to this, I began to explore this concept and tried to verify it on all social levels. I was amazed to discover what I found. When I would visit my friends, I would try to act correctly and they would try to act honorably, not shamefu lly. I was busy trying to learn the rights and wrongs of their culture, but somehow my framework of right versus wrong didn't fit what was actually happening. The secret wasn't to act rightly or wrongly in their culture.It wasn't that there was a right way and a wrong way of doing things. The underlying principle was that there was an honorable and dishonorable way of doing things. Every part of the Muslim culture I lived in was based on honor and shame. When I visited my friends I could honor them in the way I acted. They could honor me, in the way they acted. Three cups of coffee bestowed honor on me. The first, called ‘salam' (peace) was followed by ‘sadaqa' (friendship), and the third cup of coffee was called ‘issayf' (the sword). The meaning was clear in their culture.When I arrived I was offered a cup of coffee that represented peace between us. As we drank and talked, the cup of friendship was offered. The last cup, the sword, illustrated their willingness t o protect me and stand by me. It didn't matter if I was right or wrong, they were bound by their honor to protect me. Everywhere I moved in the Middle Eastern culture there were things that pointed to honor or shame. What chair I chose to sit in, who entered the door first, the way I expressed myself in Arabic, the very way I walked and held myself, all communicated to others around me ‘my place' in the world.The cultures of the Middle East are filled with thousands of tiny nuances that communicate messages about shame and honor. Shame is a popular topic today in western society. Shame, however is closely identified with a lack of self-esteem. Shame often stems from some form of abuse where children fail to learn trust. This is quite different from the shame societies of the east where shame and fear of shame are used as controlling forces in people's lives. (As compared with right and wrong being used as a controlling factor. As western parents, we teach our children to act r ightly. If they don't, we teach them that feelings of guilt are the proper response. In a shame-based culture however, children are taught to act honorably, and if they don't, feelings of shame are the proper response. But it goes farther than just feelings. Shame and honor are positions in society, just as being right (and justified) is a position in our western culture. In the west, young people are free to act as spontaneously as they want, as long as they are within the framework of right and wrong.They can be loud, boisterous, and happy, as long as they don't break things, or abuse others. Our rule in the west is â€Å"As long as I don't hurt someone else or their property, I'm generally ok. † Young people in a Muslim setting are different. Wherever they go, they represent their families and tribes. Young people are not free to act as they want. They must always act honorably, so that the honor of their family and tribe is upheld. If they act shamefully, then the family or tribe will react against them. Shameful deeds are covered up. If they can't be covered up, they are revenged.It is the unwritten rule of the desert. The whole concept of shameful deeds can be traced back to the early Bedouin code of practice, which existed even before Islam arrived. This code, still much in existence today, affects not only the way individuals act, but also the actions of entire nations. As I have visited with people from other eastern countries, I have continued to explore the concept of honor and shame among these other countries. It has helped me understand and communicate with people from places such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Japan, and Korea.In fact, I have discovered that the concept of shame and honor makes a great discussion topic. I have often asked people from shame-based cultures what are honorable or shameful acts or actions in their cultures. The discussion that follows is often highly stimulating, and usually reflects or cont rasts similar attitudes right across the shame- based countries of the world. In some cases however, there are distinct differences between cultures. As I mentioned earlier, if someone is badly shamed in an Arab culture and the shame cannot be hidden, then it is revenged, and the person responsible for the shaming is killed.In many eastern cultures, if a shame cannot be hidden, the way out is suicide. Even here, however, there are many similarities, as I have known of a number of students in Jordan committing suicide because of their poor school marks, just as happens in Japan. In order for shame-based cultures to work, shame and honor are usually attached to something greater than the individual. Honor is almost always placed on a group. This can be the immediate family, the extended tribe, or in some cases, as large as an entire nation; as was demonstrated in Japan just previous to World War Two.In most Middle Eastern cultures, honor is wrapped up with one's tribe. Everyone grows up within a tribal concept. If someone is from the Beni Hassan tribe, he thinks and acts, and dresses as a Beni Hassan. His actions reflect on the honor the Beni Hassan tribe. If he acts honorably, the Beni Hassan tribe is honored. If he acts shamefully, the whole tribe is shamed. If the act is vile enough, the Beni Hassan tribe will react, and execute the offender, even though he is a member of their own tribe, and perhaps even their immediate family.Thus the honor of the tribe is restored. Many years ago an Arab soldier's gun accidentally discharged and killed his friend and companion in the army. After serving seven years, he was released on condition that he leave Jordan. He lived for nearly twenty years in the United States, but decided to return one day to see his family. When it was learned that he had returned, several young people, some of whom had not been born at the time of the killing, surrounded the house where he was and riddled his body with bullets. Their honor was restored, and shame removed.If someone shames another tribe, tribal warfare could result, and often only the skilful intervention of a third party ends the strife. Arab lore is full of stories of how wise and skillful men have intervened in difficult situations. In fact, many national rulers gain their fame and reputation from their skills at ending tribal strife. In the Middle East two methods are recognized. First, a skillful ruler, through diplomatic efforts and displays of great wisdom, can end disputes. Solomon's dealings with the two mothers who claimed the same baby displayed the kind of wisdom that Arabs appreciate and desire in their rulers.The second kind of ruler crushes all of the tribes and by force makes them submit to himself. Peace may then rule, but once the controlling power is removed, old animosities return. This is well illustrated in the Balkans conflict where the domination of communism brought about a measure of peace. Once freedom returned however, old confl icts and animosities flared again. The storytellers who frequent the coffeehouses of the Middle East excel in telling stories of both kinds of rulers and heroes, especially heroes who can effectively deal with shame and restore honor.This is very different from the entertainment styles of the west, where the hero determines who is guilty, and punishes him, and right and goodness reign again. This is because in our worldview, we try to hang onto the concept that in the midst of a crooked and perverse world, right still reigns and has the upper hand. Those from a shame-based culture, on the other hand, cling to the idea of maintaining honor, in the midst of a shameful and alienated world. For many western people it is very hard if not impossible to try and comprehend a culture that is based on shame, not right versus wrong.In most western cultures, telling the truth is right and telling lies is wrong. In the Middle East, people don't think of lies as being ‘right' or ‘wron g. ‘ The question is, â€Å"Is what is being said, honorable? † If a lie protects the honor of a tribe or nation, then it is fine. If a lie is told for purely selfish reasons, then it is shameful. Thus, in the west we debate ethics, by trying to determine if things are right or wrong. In the east, they debate ethics, by trying to determine if things are honorable or not. Shame in Western Culture In the past, shame has played a role in western culture.One has only to read Tolstoy's  Anna Karenina, or any of Shakespeare's works to see the role that shame used to play. Shakespeare uses the word shame nine times as often as he does guilt. In time, however, our culture has changed and guilt has become much more important. Then, during the last twenty years, we have begun to move away from such a strong guilt-bases for our culture. Why is this? I suspect that the popularity of Freud's teachings is one reason. Sociologists generally credit Freudian psychology for the removal of guilt from western culture.Since his teachings have become popular in many universities, the concept of guilt has become unpopular and guilt has been assigned to others, such as our parents. Other factors, like the lack of responsibility within modern politics have influence young people today. Nixon and Watergate, and Clinton and Lewinsky have illustrated to people today that ‘right versus wrong' is not the only way to think. During the period of 1960 to 2000 western civilization has begun a slow but steady shift away from the ‘right versus wrong' paradigm. Today young people are very reluctant to label anything as right or wrong.Instead, things are assigned the label as â€Å"cool† or â€Å"not cool. † In the eyes of many high school students, being cool is equivalent to being honorable. Being not cool is the equivalent of shame. I believe that this slow shift in worldview is responsible for many of the differences between boosters, boomers, busters, and Generation X'rs. Shaming in History Early Roman culture started out in the fear/power paradigm. Events of nature and history were interpreted within this paradigm. The worship of a pantheon of gods carried on during their whole civilization until Christianity became the state religion.When the Romans adopted the Greek pattern of placing the law above the emperor, they began to interpret events in their society on the guilt/innocence paradigm. This soon came to the forefront of their civilization, and fear/power was pushed to the back. When the Romans conquered shame-based civilizations the people they conquered had a profound impact on their own culture. Shame was always present in Roman culture, but it slowly came more and more to the forefront and eventually into Mediterranean culture today. In republican Rome, criminals had the doors to their houses burned as a public sign that a criminal was living there.Those who had been wronged could legally follow the criminal around, ch anting and accusing him in public places. The concept of public shaming carried on into the Middle Ages, and even into Victorian England where criminals were put into stocks. These stocks were located in public places, so that the criminal would be known and shamed before all. Pillories were rife during the Victorian age, when those who were pilloried had to endure the shame of publicly having rotten vegetables thrown at them. Branding criminals was practiced in England until the eighteenth century.Brands were often placed on the hands or face, so that the criminals would be publicly shamed wherever they went. The major difference between east and west, however, is not the presence of the shame concept, but rather, the structure of society around either the group mentality or individualism. Eastern shame became much more powerful than western shaming activities, simply because in the east the shame rests on the person's group rather than the individual. Since many eastern society fu nctions in a group setting, the whole group suffers rather than just the individual.If the crime is bad enough, the group itself may oust or, for a severe offense, kill the offender. In 1999 at least twenty-five women were killed to maintain the honor of their families in the country of Jordan. Hundreds of others were killed in countries like Egypt, Sudan, Syria, and Iran. In many countries where shame-based culture is predominant, the names of criminals and those being ousted from their families for shameful activities are publicly printed in the newspapers. In western countries we tend to isolate criminals from their surroundings, and then determine if they are guilty.Criminals are then locked away out of sight, rather than publicly shamed in stocks in the public square. It's interesting to notice that in the Crow Indian culture in North America, mocking of some one else's inappropriate behavior effects shaming. This is sometimes called â€Å"buying-of-the-ways. † If you im itate someone else's inappropriate behavior, you are buying his ways. In some cases a person actually offers money to buy someone else's inappropriate behavior. This is the ultimate shame. In many shame-based cultures, rather than encourage others, people criticize and question others.This is seen as positive, as it keeps them from becoming too proud. In the same way, Arabs are often quick to criticize leaders, especially elected ones, if they perceive that they are too ambitious or proud. They are sometimes publicly questioned or shamed, and often they leave public life. Even new language students discover that their neighbors are quick to point out that someone else speaks better than they do, or they are asked why they speak so poorly after being there for â€Å"a whole four months! † The criticism is often meant to keep them from being proud of how well they have done.Arabs understand that the criticism may be a compliment, but the poor westerner is often crushed. Clash o f World Views As I mentioned earlier, there are three basic planes on which worldview, function. On each of these planes, there